Falklands : Falklands Public Meeting Report for Tuesday, 23 September 2008 Part 1
Submitted by Falkland Islands News Network (Juanita Brock) 29.09.2008 (Article Archived on 13.10.2008)
The Mental Health Ordinance was the subject of discussion at this important meeting.
PUBLIC MEETING REPORT FOR TUESDAY, 23 SEPTEMBER 2008
By J. Brock (FINN)
A public meeting took place on Tuesday, 23 September 2008 at 1700 in the Court and Council Chamber of the Town Hall. Present were Cllrs Summers (Chair), Robertson, Birmingham, Cockwell, Rendell and Stevens. Also on the Panel was Pat Gale from Social Welfare, Alison Ingles Crown Counsel, Karen Rimicans, Community Psychiatric Nurse and Roger Diggle, Chief Medical Officer. Approximately 50 members of the public attended, or which several members were from Team Tranquil – the mental Health Strategy Group.
The subject of this public meeting was the proposed new mental health ordinance, which is at the public consultation stage. To help get people informed and used to the terminology Dr Tim McInerny, FIG’s consultant Psychiatrist, gave a power-point presentation on why the outdated Mental Health Ordinance needs to be re-vamped. Among the reasons a newly legislated ordinance is needed are:
- presently there is no right of appeal,
- no access to a lawyer
- limited information
- no right for a relative or friend to appeal
- no tribunal to review the case
- no requirement for clinicians to have mental health training
Dr McInerny went on to explain that two patients per year are detained under the existing Mental Health Ordinance and the UK detains people at a proportional rate. The duration of a stay can be a day but in unique cases it could be as much as a year.
On Wednesday a Mental Health training day will be held for Hospital staff as well as for designated members of the Police Department.
The final part of the presentation dealt with who was and was not subject to (Excluded) the Mental Health Ordinance. Alcoholism is an area that comes under exclusion unless the affected person becomes psychotic. Other areas include sexual offenders.
After the presentation the public were invited to ask questions of the team present.
This dialogue will be presented in Wednesday’s Daily record.
|
